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PODCAST

LiberatED Podcast

The LiberatED Podcast tells the stories of the entrepreneurial parents and teachers who are creating innovative K-12 learning options across the US and expanding education options for families. This twice-weekly podcast is hosted by Kerry McDonald, a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Economic Education and leader of the Education Entrepreneurship Lab. A regular contributor at Forbes.com and The 74, Kerry is the bestselling author of Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the

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All Episodes

28:31

Alternative education in Kansas, with founder Katie Saiz

LiberatED Podcast ·

2025/08/26

In this episode of LiberatED, Kerry McDonald talks with Katie Saiz, founder of Greengate Children’s School in Wichita, Kansas. Katie shares her inspiring journey from running a home-based daycare while homeschooling her children to leading a thriving private school serving nearly 100 students across preschool through middle school, with future plans for high school expansion. Katie explains how Greengate blends Montessori materials with project-based learning, attracts families seeking alternatives

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32:52

Reimagining Special Education: One teacher’s...

LiberatED Podcast ·

2025/08/22

In this episode of the LiberatED Podcast, Kerry McDonald talks with Jennifer Palmer, former special education teacher and now founder of Mobile Classroom Solutions in Polk County, Florida. Jennifer shares her journey from the conventional public school classroom to building a thriving microschool and learning pod that serve diverse learners, including many with special needs. We discuss how COVID sparked her entrepreneurial leap, why families are embracing flexible and personalized education, and

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41:18

Joyful Learning is out today! Enjoy this special...

LiberatED Podcast ·

2025/08/19

Today is the official launch date of host Kerry McDonald's new book, Joyful Learning: How to Find Freedom, Happiness, and Success Beyond Conventional Schooling! Check out this special interview—and get your copy of Joyful Learning wherever books are sold!

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35:17

“Try something else. Be happy.” Why a longtime public...

LiberatED Podcast ·

2025/08/15

Sulaya Williams has been a teacher and administrator in the Florida public schools for 15 years. She left the school system in June to pursue entrepreneurship full-time as the founder of Link Up & Build Global Academy. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at edentrepreneur.org.

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34:34

“Alexa, how can I homeschool my kids?”

LiberatED Podcast ·

2025/08/12

Think of Alexa Achille as an "Alexa" for innovative education in South Florida. A former special education teacher in the New York City public schools, Alexa finds great fulfillment in helping families discover the benefits of unconventional education. She is the founder of The Collabo in West Palm Beach, Florida, which empowers homeschooling families by providing enriching learning experiences for students, strategic resources for parents, and expert guidance on educational and post-secondary

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30:55

How Mosaic is supporting self-directed education

LiberatED Podcast ·

2025/08/08

Today on LiberatED, Kerry McDonald sits down with Bonnie Benjamin-Phariss, the Executive Director of Mosaic at WeAreBornToLearn.org—a vibrant online hub where families can reimagine education in meaningful ways. Founded by philanthropist Jeff Westphal and supported by the Jeff & Jenifer Westphal Foundation, Mosaic blends community with curated resources and practical tools to help young people flourish as curious, confident, self-directed learners outside the bounds of conventional schooling. One of

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03:37

Two weeks until Joyful Learning!

LiberatED Podcast ·

2025/08/05

Kerry's new book, Joyful Learning: How to Find Freedom, Happiness, and Success Beyond Conventional Schooling, will be on bookstore shelves two weeks from today—Tuesday, August 19th. Preorder your copy today at this link and use code JOYFUL20 at checkout for 20% off. Or visit your favorite local bookstore or online retailer to get your copy. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at edentrepreneur.org.

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41:26

Opening a microschool after 20 years of teaching

LiberatED Podcast ·

2025/08/01

Today's guest, Tiffany Blassingame, is reimagining Christian education. As the founder and lead teacher at The Ferguson School—a progressive, faith-based K-5 microschool in Decatur, Georgia—she blends over 20 years of experience in public and private education with a heart for helping students thrive. A fourth-generation educator, Tiffany primarily serves Black and brown gifted and neurodiverse learners. Her passion for nurturing both students and teachers sparked the creation of the Microschool

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37:54

Primer founder Ryan Delk on creating a vast...

LiberatED Podcast ·

2025/07/29

Today's guest is Ryan Delk, cofounder and CEO of Primer, a fast-growing platform helping top teachers to launch microschools in their communities. He’s spent the last decade building tech companies (like Square, Gumroad, and Omni), and was homeschooled from kindergarten through 8th grade. Ryan lives in San Francisco with his wife and three kids. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at edentrepreneur.org.

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38:07

Why a public school teacher opened Lighthouse...

LiberatED Podcast ·

2025/07/25

My guest today is Emma Rodriguez, founder of Lighthouse Christian Academy, a microschool in Frisco, Texas that opened in January of this year. After graduating from Texas A&M University, Emma spent seven years teaching in one of the largest and fastest-growing school districts in the country. While she loved the classroom, she saw firsthand how traditional education often leaves students behind and families yearning for more meaningful connection. So she became an education entrepreneur. *** Sign

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35:50

A physician launches a new Islamic microschool

LiberatED Podcast ·

2025/07/22

Today's guest is Sana Khan, a Board-certified Family Medicine Physician and founder of Ihsan Academy of Texas Microschool, a full-time, in-person program serving Grades 1-8 in Katy, Texas. The word Ihsan is Arabic for "Excellence", highlighting the vision of the school to provide Excellence in both the knowledge and application of the Islamic faith, and Academic Scholarship. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at edentrepreneur.org.

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36:02

In suburban Ohio, a former public school teacher...

LiberatED Podcast ·

2025/07/18

Jackie Bonath was a public school teacher for 14 years before quitting her job earlier this year to launch Creekside Cottage School, a full-time, multi-age microschool located in Gahanna, Ohio, a close suburb of Columbus, that is focused on nature-based learning. With 20 students already enrolled for this fall, and daily inquiries from interested parents, Jackie sees growing demand for innovative education options in her area. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education

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32:11

In rural Ohio, a former public school teacher...

LiberatED Podcast ·

2025/07/15

Today’s guest is Pam Frankforther, founder of Pioneer Reading Center in Wayne, Ohio. Pam left her job as a longtime public school teacher this year to launch Pioneer as full-time microschool for students with dyslexia and other learning differences. She was motivated to create a science-backed, literacy-rich learning environment for children in her community after listening to the popular podcast series, Sold A Story. Pam also recently published the book Dyslexia and the Public Schools: What They

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38:19

Managing Entrepreneurial Growing Pains & Regulatory...

LiberatED Podcast ·

2025/07/11

Jennie Jones is an Entrepreneur-In-Residence at FEE's Education Entrepreneurship Lab. She is a former professional ballerina, turned homeschooling mom of four, turned education entrepreneur who launched her home-based microschool, Treehouse Agile Learning Community, in St. George, Utah last fall and is expanding into a second location this fall. Jennie was an earlier guest on the podcast talking about her founder journey and returns today to share some of the challenges of growth and regulatory

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38:26

How OpenEd is expanding personalized education...

LiberatED Podcast ·

2025/07/08

More than a decade ago, Matt Bowman cofounded My Tech High as a platform that enabled personalized, customized learning through tuition-free partnerships with innovative public and charter schools and in collaboration with individual education providers. With a bold vision to expand personalized learning options to more families, Matt recently rebranded the company to OpenEd.co. To date, his company has served over 12,000 families. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education

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40:22

From former elementary school teacher to Phoenix...

LiberatED Podcast ·

2025/07/01

Deja Hillis is the founder of Faithscape Learning Pod, a faith-based K-5 microschool in Casa Grande, Arizona, near Phoenix, which she launched in August 2024. An early elementary school teacher for nearly a decade, Deja has a passion for literacy education and is the author of four children’s books. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at edentrepreneur.org.

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38:42

“So many parents don’t feel listened to.” From middle...

LiberatED Podcast ·

2025/06/27

Today’s guest is Joanna Cervantez, founder of A Fuller Education Microschool just outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania which she launched in the fall 2024. Joanna has both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in education and began her career as a middle school math teacher in inner-city Los Angeles, later teaching in a school for an orphanage in El Salvador. Since 2013, she has been coaching K-12 teachers and administrators to help them transform their classrooms into joyful learning communities. ***

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34:42

From math teacher to hybrid school founder in Louisiana

LiberatED Podcast ·

2025/06/24

Today's guest is Kate Lundquist, founder and principal of Northshore Prep Academy. A former public high school math and physics teacher, Kate opened her secular K-8 hybrid school in Mandeville, Louisiana, a suburb of New Orleans, in 2015. Today, Northshore Prep Academy has 75 students enrolled. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at edentrepreneur.org.

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32:48

From physician to founder, with Barbara Jauregui...

LiberatED Podcast ·

2025/06/20

Today's guest is Barbara Jauregui Wurst, a medical doctor and adjunct professor at George Washington University who cofounded Acton Academy Falls Church in Northern Virginia in 2021. Read Courage To Grow by Acton Academy cofounder, Laura Sandefer. Check out this new article at our Education Entrepreneurship Lab by a recent graduate of an Acton Academy in Kansas. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at edentrepreneur.org.

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24:08

Pre-launch plans: A former special education teacher...

LiberatED Podcast ·

2025/06/17

Today's guest is Cassandra Orozco, the founder of Beacon of Hope Academy, a faith-based microschool serving K–5th grade students with special needs in Lake Worth, Florida, set to open this fall. As a certified special education teacher with experience in both charter and private schools, Cassandra is passionate about reimagining education to better serve neurodiverse learners. Through Beacon of Hope Academy, she’s creating a nurturing, individualized environment where every child is seen, supported,

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